Spring-tension mechanism.



.i. L. MAUCH.

G TENSION MECHANISM.

APPLlCATIONTILED JUNE 5.1916.

SPRIN Batented June 19, 1917.

ms mumls minus 00.. nwmurna. WAsmNamN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. IVIAUCI-I, I-IUMBOLDT, ARIZONA.

SPRING-TENSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 11116 19, 1917.

Application filed June 5, 1916. Serial No. 101,819.

This invention relates to spring actuated. mechanism for transmitting and applying a continuous spring tension to a driven member, and has for its general object the provision of new and improved mechanism of thischaracter which is so constructed and arranged so as to permit the spring to be wound without moving or permitting movement of the driven member or part to which the tension of the spring is communicated, which is such as to permit the ready disconnection of the driven member, and which includes means for indicating the available energy of the spring at any time.

The foregoingand other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of one embodiment and application thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the particular form and use of the invention'described and shown have been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that said invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise practised without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a substantially central sectional view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail face view of certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in mechanism for applying a torsional stress ormoment, by means of a main spiral or clock spring, to a winding roller, for the purpose of winding a strip or web thereon under a continuous tension, said mechanism constituting a combined take-up and tension device for said strip or web.

10 denotes a main frame or casing which may be of any suitable form or size according to requirements. ll-denotes a housing for the tension mechanism suitably secured to the main frame 10, as by screws 12. 13 denotes a roller which is rotatably mounted, by any suitable or wellknown means, in the frame 10 and upon which is wound a strip or web 14.

The roller 13 is engaged at its end by a dog 15, said roller and dog being connected for rotation in-unison, as by forming the end of sa d'roller w1th a diametric groove adapted to receive a flange or rib 16 on said 7 dog; The'dog 15 is rotatably and slidably mounted in a bearing 150 on the frame 10 and in a similar bearing 17 0 on the housing 11, and is fixed upon a shaft or spindle 17 rotatably and slidably mounted in the outer end of the bearing 170. 18 denotes a spring interposed between the dog 15 and the end wall of the bearing 170 for holding the said dog inoperative engagement with the end of the roller 13. In the construction shown the spindle or shaft 17 is provided with a head 19 outside the housing 11, whereby the dog 15 may be withdrawn or moved longitudinally against the tension of the spring 18 in order to release the roller 13, or may be turned in order to rotate said roller manually.

Within the housing 11 is a spring casing 20 doweled or otherwise secured to the frame 10 and preferably provided with a removable cover 21. Within said casing is a main spiral or clock spring 22 secured at one end to the wall of said casing and at the opposite end to a shaft or winding post 23 journaled in the frame 10, the spring casing 20, and housing 11, and provided with a handle 24 on theoutside of said housing. Said winding post is provided or formed with a fixed collar or annular flange 25, and has a screw threaded portion 26, the threads,

in the construction shown, being right handed. Rotatably mounted on said winding post between the flange 25 and threaded portion 26 is a gear 27 which meshes with a pinion 28 on a shaft 29 journaled in the casing 10 and housing 11. Fast on the shaft 29 is a gear 30 which meshes with a gear 31 on the dog 15. Said gear 31 is connected with the dog 15 by a spline or similar connection 32, whereby said gear and dog are caused to rotate in unison, but said gear is engaged at opposite sides by the ends of the bearings 150 and 170, respectively, and thereby held against longitudinal movement with said dog. On the threaded portion 26 of the winding post 23 is a nut 33 adapted to engage the gear 27 and clamp the same against the flange 25, so as to cause said gear to rotate in unison with the winding post. Said nut 33 1S connected with the winding post by a torsional spring 34L which tends to turn said nut in a clockwise direction on" saidpostto: clamp said gear. 7

The gear 30 is formed with a laterally projecting annular flange 35 which is engaged by a friction pawl, herein shown as a ball 36, cooperating with a spiral lug or flange 37. on the inner face of the front wall of the housing 11, said ballbeing pressed into engagement with said annular flange 35 vented. In order to release the pawl and permit the gear 30 to rotate in either direction there, is provided a lever 40 rotatably mounted on the shaft 29 and having an inturnedlugj il adapted to engage and press backthe ball 36 and an out-turned lug 42 extending through a suitable slot (not shown) in the front wall of the housing 11, whereby said lever may be manually operated. r

In order to keep the tension of the spring 22 within suitable limits, that to say, to prevent overw-inding thereof, on the one hand, while, on the other, insuring a torsion-al moment at'least'equal to the intensity of turningmoment desired for the roller 13,

there isprovidecl a Geneva'stop device comprising a wheell3mounted onga square portion of the winding post 23 and having a tooth periodically engaging a. wheel li rotatablymounted on the housing 11. wheel 4:4: rotates intermittently, EIClVZiIlClDg one segment for each rotation of the wheel 43, and is preferably so. constructed as to belimitjed in its rotation, as will be familiar to. those skilled in, the art. Thesegments of'the wheel 445 are preferably provided with numerals or other marks which pass a fixed mark i5 011 the housing 11 as the wheel rotates forthe purpose of approximately indicating the. number of rotationsof the winding post 23 which have been made or which are still possible without rewindi'ng:

The operationis as follows:

To, wind the spring22, the winding post 23 is turned in a clockwise direction by the handle 2-1. The gear 27' is held against rotation in a clockwise direction with the winding post byreason of its engagement with the p1nion28 on the shaft 29 which also The carries the gear 30, the latter gear being held against rotation in a counter-cloclnvise di- 27 isoperatively disconnected from the winding post, permitting said post to be turned to wind the spring without turning the gear 27 and parts driven thereby. The spring can therefore be fully wound without turning the roller 13 in a directiontoulr wind the strip l-l, the roller 13 being indirectly locked against retrograde movement by the ball 36. I r v On releasing the handle 24: the winding post 23 tends to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. At the sametime the spring 34: tends to turn the nut .33 in a clockwise direction 0n the winding. post to clamp the gear 27 to the flange 2.5. Should the clamp ing action, induced-by the spring 34 of the nut 33 acting on the gear 27, be insufficient toovercome the resistance of said gear. due

within the nut until the latter clamps the gear 27- with sufficient tightness to overcome its resistance and cause the same to turn with the winding post. I

It will be seen that the clamping devices for the gear 27 are suchthat said gear is clamped with, atightness automatically proportioned to the resistance which it is called uponto overcome, namely, the tension upon the strip 14. The maximum and minimum limits of the latter are determined by the Geneva stop device., When the winding post is turned to wind the spring, as above explained, the flange 25, of course, must also turn with it, although the'gear 27, which is held. against turn-ing, is, at first, clamped against it by the nut 33.. Since, however, the force'of the clamping action is proportional to the force transmittedthrough the gear, which, in turn, is limited bythe maximum tension of the spring 22, it follows that any effort suiiicient to, wind the spring to its Furthermore, sufflcient effort may be applied to post 23 to cause the said post to rotate, together with its threaded portion 26 in nut 33, which latter might be temporarily held from'turning, due to the frictional resistance with the now stationary gear 27, thereby reducing the clamping action of said nut33 on the gear 27 until the nut will turn with post 23.

Having thus described my invention I claim 1. The combination with a spring, of a shaft connected to said spring, a rotatable transmission member loosely mounted on said shaft, and means controlled by the turning of said shaft in opposite directions, respectively, for clamping said member to said shaft for rotation therewith and for unclamping the same.

2. The combination with a spring, of a shaft connected to said spring and having a flange and a threaded portion, a rotatable member loosely mounted on said shaft between said flange and threaded portion, means for holding said member against turning in one direction, and a nut on said threaded portion for clamping said member to said flange and for unclamping the same when said shaft is turned in the direction against which said member is held from turning.

3. The combination with a spring, of a shaft connected to saidspring and having a flange and a threaded portion, a transmission member loosely mounted on said shaft between said flange and threaded portion, a nut on said threaded portion for clamping said member to said flange, and a spring connecting said nut and shaft and tending to turn said nut in a direction to clamp said member.

4. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for winding said spring and for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member to move the same in one direction, and means for positively preventing movement of said member in the opposite direction but permitting movement thereof in said first-named direction, said connections being constructed and arranged to permit said spring to be wound without moving said member.

5. The combination with a roller adapted to receive a strip, of a spring, a shaft connected to said spring and having a flange and a threaded portion, a transmission member loosely mounted on said shaft between said flange and threaded portion and operatively connected with said roller, means to prevent movement of said transmission member in a direction to unwind said strip, a nut on said threaded portion for clamping said transmission member to said flange, and aspring connecting said nut and shaft and tending to turn said nut in a direction to clamp said transmission member.

6. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member to move the. same in one direction, said connections including a gear turned by said spring, a gear connected with said member, and an intermediate gear, and means coopcrating with said intermediate gear for positively holding said member against movement in the opposite direction but permitting movement thereof in said firstnamed direction.

7. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member, said connections including a gear having an annular flange, and a ball friction pawl c0- operating with said flange and arranged to lock said gear against movement in one direction.

8. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member 'to move the same in one direction, means for positively preventing movement of said member in the opposite direction but permitting movement thereof in said firstnamed direction, and means for releasing said lastnamed means to permit said member to turn in either direction.

9. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member, said connections including a gear having an annular flange, a ball friction pawl cooperating with said flange, and a lever mounted to turn about the axis of said gear and having a finger adapted to engage said pawl to cause the same to release said flange.

10. The combination with a roller adapted to receive a strip, of a spring and connections between said spring and roller for applying a continuous turning force to said roller tending to Wind up said strip, said connections including a shaft having a dog detachably engaging said roller, said shaft being longitudinally movable to disengage said dog from said roller, a spring for normally holding said dog in engagement with said roller, a transmission gear on said shaft, means connecting said gear and shaft to cause said shaft to turn with said gear and permit the same to move longitudinally independently thereof, and means for holding said gear against longitudinal movement with said shaft.

11. The combination with a spring and an operated member, of connections between said spring and member for transmitting the tension of said spring to said member, said connections including a shaft connected to said spring, a transmission member loosely mounted on said shaft and operatively connected with said operated member, and means normally clamping said transmission member to said shaft with a force automatically proportioned to the tension of said spring, said means being adapted automatically to unclamp said transmission member when said spring is wound.

12. The combination with a spring, of a shaft connected to said spring, a transmis sion member loosely mounted on said shaft, andmea'ns controlled by the turning of said shaft, in opposite directions, respectively, for clamping said member to said shaft with a force automatically proportioned to the tension of said spring and for unclamping the same.

In testimony whereof ture.

JOHN L. MAUCH.

I afiix my signa- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3. 

